Dear Google:

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Have you ever head the saying “be careful what you wish for“?

Yeah. You might want to study that. For my part, if you really feel that we shouldn’t think of your company as so ubiquitously representing the world of internet search that the term “googling” and “searching” should be synonymous, and if you’re going to spend company $$ litigating against such a concept, then who am I to argue?

I for one will be glad to turn the other cheek. I’m sure there are worthy search companies out there with a bit more common sense and fewer lawyers on the payroll. From now on I’ll do my best to enact your wishes and treat the G-word like the four-letter-word you want it to be.

Here’s hoping that you sink into obscurity as quickly as possible. Good luck with that, from the bottom of my heart, and I really mean that.

Sincerely,

Pamela Dingle

4 thoughts on “Dear Google:”

  1. Google litigates this because US trademark law demands it – not thru some personal choice. Well, the personal choice to retain “Google” as a trademark. The best example is the German company A.G.Bayer who didn’t defend their trademark on the term “Aspirin” which passed into the language as a generic word for any compound of acetylsalicylic acid. So please, think twice before condemning the company for trying to protect their property in the only way defined by law.

    -dave

  2. Dave, I do understand the trademark issues at stake.

    But they are in a bit of a stew here no matter what. If token enforcement is enough to keep their heads above water on the legal front, I suppose that’s what they have to do.

    Doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy about it though. There is a PR cost to choosing to enforce something like this. That was my message.

  3. Surely it’s a coincidence that Google is starting to protect their brand only *after” the term has achieved ubiquity in common parlance.

    I for one vow to stop using ‘googling’ as a synonym for ‘searching’, and start using it as a synonym for ‘siloing’

    paul

  4. I suggest that we call getting cranky at a multi-billion dollar company: “Pamming”. File for the trademark today.

    Google is a brand; they are not a search company. There I said it.

    Moreover, it seems, (obvious to me), that Google has failed in it’s mission statement: “Do no evil.” They are rapidly becoming a predatory monster company that is more interested in building wealth, which by the way is what companies are supposed to do, rather than making the world a better place. Which is fine but they should be honest about it especially to themselves.

    I for one think we should cover the trees in front of their headquarters in toilet paper & run away.

    That will teach them, happy “Pamming” ™

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